Arson, the second leading cause of residential fire-associated
deaths in the United States, accounts for approximately 700 deaths
annually, destroys homes, and destabilizes neighborhoods (1-3). In
Detroit, Michigan (1990 population: 1,027,974), arson accounted for
nearly half (46.3%) of all fire-related deaths since 1984 (4).
During the late 1970s, pre-Halloween pranks traditionally
associated in some parts of the United States with the night of
October 30 turned destructive in Detroit, with hundreds of fires
set throughout the city. By 1984, October 30 became known as
"Devil's Night" and had evolved to 3 consecutive nights of arson on
October 29-31; in that year, a record 810 fires were reported (5).
In 1985, Detroit began a citywide intervention campaign against
arson and vandalism during the 3-day Halloween period using data
from an ongoing fire surveillance system maintained by the Detroit
Fire Department (DFD) to target areas at high risk for arson. This
report describes the intervention implemented by the city of
Detroit from 1985 through 1996 and the impact of the intervention
in preventing Halloween arson; approximately 34,000 volunteers
participated in 1996 (6), and the number of fires during this 3-day
period decreased to the average number of fires for any other 3-day
period during the remainder of the year.
Intervention Design

Since 1985, the annual citywide antiarson intervention has
been developed and implemented by the Anti-Arson Initiative
Steering Committee (comprising representatives from city government
departments and agencies, community organizations, and the private
sector). Information from previous intervention programs and fire
incidence data obtained from the Detroit Fire Incident Reporting
System (DFIRS) were used to plan the annual antiarson intervention
(7,8). Information in the DFIRS database is obtained from incident
and casualty reports documenting the nature of each incident to
which the DFD responds; date, time, and location of occurrence;
probable cause; associated injuries and/or fatalities; and other
information. The DFD Arson Section investigates a proportion of
"incendiary" (i.e., confirmed) or "suspected" arson fires,
including all multiple alarm fires and those that involve a death
or injury, criminal activity, occupied dwelling, or explosion. From
1985 through 1996, DFIRS information was used to monitor annual and
monthly trends in fire incidence and to plot maps detailing the
location of fires reported during the previous year, by type, in
each census tract within the metropolitan area. The steering
committee used these maps, along with Detroit Police Department
maps indicating the location of various crimes committed during the
previous year, to 1) identify areas at high risk for Halloween
arson and vandalism, 2) develop volunteer deployment plans, 3)
estimate equipment and supply requirements, 4) prioritize areas for
demolition of vacant buildings, and 5) determine the location of
temporary DFD command posts during Halloween. Staff at nine
neighborhood city halls, 13 police precincts, and nine fire
battalions coordinated decentralized action plans complementing the
overall city plan.

The antiarson intervention implemented by the city of Detroit
from 1985 through 1996 included eight key elements. First, all
available city firefighters were stationed at strategically located
DFD command posts, and police officers and other city employees
patrolled designated areas of the city. Second, potential arson
targets were eliminated or reduced by demolishing abandoned
buildings, towing abandoned vehicles, removing tires from dump
sites, and emptying large trash receptacles. Third, city residents
were recruited to serve as volunteers from community organizations,
religious groups, schools, unions, and the private sector. Fourth,
volunteers received orientation for guarding abandoned neighborhood
buildings, patrolling designated neighborhoods in vehicles,
providing administrative support at operational centers throughout
the city, and keeping outdoor lights on throughout the night.
Fifth, an aggressive education/public relations campaign informed
residents about Halloween antiarson intervention plans, the dangers
of arson, and suggestions for preventing arson. Sixth, structured
activities for children and teenagers -- including movie marathons,
teen dances, overnight slumber parties, carnivals, and other
activities -- were sponsored by the city of Detroit, community
organizations, churches, and other groups. Seventh, Detroit's
year-round youth curfew was extended to begin at 6:00 p.m. on
October 30 and continue through 6:00 a.m. on October 31 for youth
aged less than or equal to 17 years unaccompanied by an adult.
Finally, since 1995, an emergency city ordinance has prohibited the
dispensing of fuel into portable containers, except in certain
emergency circumstances, during Halloween.
Fire Trends and Fire-Related Deaths, 1979-1996

Following an increase in the number of total Halloween fires
from 1979 through 1984, the number of Halloween fires reported
annually declined from 810 in 1984 to 142 in 1996 (Figure_1).
From
1991 through 1996 (with the exception of 1994), the number of
Halloween fires ranged from 142 to 167, within the range of the
number of fires expected to occur during any 3-day period in
Detroit (Figure_1).

From 1979 to 1996, an average of 61.2% of annual Halloween
fires were classified by DFD personnel as confirmed or suspected
arson. For 1995, of 158 Halloween fires, 86 (54.4%) were
arson-related, compared with 6572 (41.1%) of 15,971 total fires.
From 1979 through 1984, the number of arson-related Halloween fires
increased from 341 to 582, with an overall decrease to 84 in 1996
(Figure_2). Before 1985, most Halloween arson fires were refuse
fires. From 1983 to 1984, the number of arson-related building
fires increased nearly fourfold, from 45 to 170 fires, and since
1985, the greatest proportion of Halloween fires have occurred in
buildings (Figure_2).

Annual fire-related fatalities in Detroit have decreased since
1979, ranging from 107 deaths in 1979 to 44 deaths in 1996. From
1984 through 1996, arson accounted for an average of nearly half
(47.4%) of all fire-related deaths each year. The number of youth
curfew violations decreased from 315 in 1994 to 185 in 1996. Except
for 1994, the number of volunteers participating in the annual
antiarson campaign increased annually from 1985 through 1996, from
approximately 8000 to 33,615 (Figure_3). In 1994, the number of
volunteers decreased, and the number of Halloween fires increased.

Editorial Note

Editorial Note: The decline in Halloween fires reported from 1984
through 1996 suggests a positive effect of Detroit's annual
intervention campaign in preventing arson. Except during 1994, the
number of Halloween fires reported in Detroit during 1991-1996
decreased to within the range for 3-day periods during the
remainder of the year. Among Halloween arson fires, refuse fires
decreased most markedly from 1984 through 1987. Arson-related
building fires also declined since 1985, but these fires still
accounted for the greatest proportion of Halloween arson through
1996. In 1994, the number of fires increased sharply concurrent
with a decrease in volunteer participation; in 1995, the number of
fires decreased coincident with an increase in volunteer
participation (Figure_3). Although the decreased numbers of
volunteers may reflect declines in the intensity of other elements
of the intervention, the contribution of each of these elements to
changes in the number of fires cannot be assessed. The precise
number of vacant buildings (an important target for Halloween
arson) existing each year is not known, but the overall number is
believed to have remained stable.

Use of fire surveillance data by the Anti-Arson Initiative
Steering Committee to identify geographic areas at high risk for
arson, target intervention activities, and deploy resources to the
most critical locations serves as a model for prevention planning
and may have contributed to the effectiveness of the annual
campaign. Collaboration among fire, police, and other city
officials facilitated planning and implementation efforts. The
linkages between Detroit public safety and public health were
strengthened through coordinated efforts between village health
workers and some local police precinct personnel in recruiting
community volunteers. This collaboration provides a basis for
future collaborative interventions targeting other serious
inner-city problems. Based on the importance of widespread
community involvement in the Halloween arson-prevention
intervention, the DFD has established the Arson in the Community
Fire Prevention Program, a year-round program emphasizing education
and prevention through community-based partnerships.

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